The best liquid bronzers will quickly turn your skin from lackluster to glowy—no beach vacay required. Compared to powder bronzers, they tend to be more sheer and hydrating. They come in different finishes (like glowy, matte, or satin) and are very blendable, so you have more control over the final look.
“I love using a liquid bronzer to ‘underpaint’ (when you apply it under foundation or concealer), or I use it on fresh skin to just add a little warmth when doing a no-makeup makeup look,” says celebrity makeup artist Chelsea Roach. Roach recommends going with two to three shades darker than your current skin tone (so if you usually get a spray tan, make sure to choose a shade that accounts for this).
To bring you the best liquid bronzers, we tested popular options across a range of skin tones and types, and spoke to professional makeup artists for their expert recs. Our top pick was Milk Makeup because it sculpts cheeks for a subtle, natural finish, but we also included drops and highlighter combos so you can get the glowiest skin all year long.
The best liquid bronzers, at a glance
All your liquid bronzer questions, answered
How do you apply liquid bronzer?
You can apply liquid bronzer with your fingertips, a sponge, or a makeup brush. But Roach’s favorite tool to use is a dense synthetic angled brush, which can get into the contours and smaller areas of the face, including the forehead and under the jaw.
Roach prefers placing the product on the back of her hand, then picking up the product with the brush. That way, you can apply an even coat on the brush and buff out the excess product before applying it on the face.
“I always use pressing motions to blend the product into the skin. I never swipe the product,” Roach says. Swiping will disrupt and disturb the products underneath, which could leave you with patchy and uneven foundation.
As for where to apply the liquid bronzer, it all depends on your face shape. If you have a wider forehead, Roach recommends applying it on the sides of the temples, right above the bottom of the cheekbone and underneath the jaw. If you have a forehead that is broad from top to bottom, try creating a half-moon shape along the top of the forehead and push the product into the hairline with your brush. “This will shorten the look of the forehead,” she says.
“One of my favorite jawline tricks is to apply the contour behind the ear and follow through under the jaw. This creates the most seamless chiseled jawline,” Roach says.
Is liquid contour the same as bronzer?
Liquid contour is similar to bronzer, but not exactly the same. Bronzing is typically a term used to “warm” the skin, while contouring works to “define” your features. Bronzers tend to be warm-toned—think sun-kissed—and contours tend to come in cooler undertones, Roach says. For a bronzer, look for tones that are golden, peachy, or reddish. For a contour, look for taupe or ashy tones that mimic natural shadows, Roach says. Generally, liquid bronzers are best for people with warm or olive undertones, while cool-toned bronzers or contours are best for people with fair to medium skin tones with cool undertones. “The right bronzer undertone should complement your skin’s natural warmth or coolness to create a seamless, sun-kissed effect,” Roach says.
Best Overall: Milk Makeup Bionic Liquid Bronzer
Original photo by Glamour contributor April Benshosan testing Milk Makeup Bionic Liquid Bronzer
Milk Makeup’s Bionic Liquid Bronzer strikes a beautiful balance between hydration, pigmentation, and sheen. It’s everything you’d expect in a quality liquid bronzer: It’s hydrating, buildable, easy to work with, and gives the skin a glowy finish. This is the go-to bronzer for Glamour contributor April Benshosan because it goes on sheer but is buildable if you want more color. “It gives a natural sun-kissed look—and while it has a matte finish, it still leaves the skin dewy, unlike powdered bronzers that can look harsh,” says Benshosan, who has light-medium combination skin with olive undertones. She prefers applying it by tapping it into her skin with her fingertips. She uses the Time Travel shade but says she’d go a bit darker with the Shapeshift shade, especially for summer.
Roach says Milk Makeup’s Bionic Liquid Bronzer is great to use all over the face for a natural glow. “It can be used as eye shadow, bronzer, or liquid blush,” she says. “It’s pigmented, but because of the thin consistency, it’s easy to blend and gives a beautiful sheen to the skin.” We also love that it included hydrating ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and reishi mushrooms, so it works great for dry or mature skin too.
Best Drugstore: E.L.F. Camo Liquid Bronzer & Contour
Original photo by Glamour senior commerce editor Jenifer Calle testing e.l.f. Camo Liquid Bronzer & Contour
For under $10, this E.L.F. liquid contour and bronzer will get you glowing and chiseled. “I apply the tiniest pea-sized dot on the top of my cheekbones because a little goes a long way with this product. I use a couple of shades darker, and with a contour brush, apply it all over my cheeks and forehead. I like to blend it with my cream blush from Rhode for a blonzing effect. That’s the makeup trick that gives me a glow in the winter. I’m excited to use this in the summer when I have a tan going,” says Glamour senior commerce editor Jenifer Calle, who has combination-oily skin and neutral undertones.
Best for Contouring: Makeup by Mario Softsculpt Bronzer
Original photo by Glamour contributor April Benshosan testing Makeup by Mario Softsculpt Bronzer
Roach calls Mario’s Softsculpt bronzer one of the more revolutionary makeup products because it comes with multiple applicators—one end is a pump and the other is a doe foot. “The doe-foot side will give you a more precise application, while the pump side will give you more product and free range to apply with a brush or sponge off the back of your hand or palette,” Roach says.
Benshosan likes using the doe-foot applicator to contour—she applies about three dots from her temples to her cheekbones for an instant bronzy look. But you can also use the pump and mix it into a lighter shade of foundation to darken it for summer. The formula goes on surprisingly thin, but once it dries, it leaves an airbrushed finish.
Best for Darker Skin Tones: Saie Dew Bronze
Original photo by Glamour executive assistant Monique Wilson testing Saie Dew Bronze
Saie’s Dew Bronze is a lightweight liquid-cream formula, and Roach loves using it as both a contour and bronzer. “Since the formula is so lightweight and skin-like, you actually can apply this product on top of powders without disrupting the makeup,” she says. The doe-foot applicator allows you to sculpt your cheekbones and jawline with more precision than a traditional pump or squeeze tube. Plus, the natural finish lets you pile on more color (depending on how dark you want to go) without it looking cakey or overdone.
“This bronzer offers very buildable coverage, from a soft and natural shading to a more sculpted look. I’ve used this product along my jawline, cheekbones, nose bridge, and forehead area. I find the best placement is along my cheekbones because it seamlessly defines my features. Also, the packaging is small and compact, which makes it perfect for vacation or on-the-go,” says Glamour executive assistant Monique Wilson.
Best Bronzing Drops: Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops
Original photo by Glamour contributor Mollie Beitch testing Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops
Add Drunk Elephant’s D-Bronzi drops to your makeup bag if your goal is donning a summertime glow all year round. “It gives you the perfect glowing tan plus the transformational skin care benefits from Drunk Elephant,” Roach says. Drunk Elephant infuses its bronzing drops with anti-inflammatory cocoa extract plus a peptide blend that helps minimize fine lines.
The drops feel silky going on and look great with or without a full face of makeup. To apply, Roach recommends mixing a few drops with your daily moisturizer or face sunscreen. Mollie Beitch, a Glamour reviewer with combination skin, likes mixing it with her foundation for a sun-kissed effect. “It gives my fair skin a warm glow without orange undertones,” she says.
Best for Sensitive Skin: Kosas Glow I.V. Vitamin-Infused Skin Illuminating Enhancer
Original photo by Glamour commerce writer Alanna Martine Kilkeary testing Kosas Glow I.V. Vitamin-Infused Skin Illuminating Enhancer
Kosas Glow I.V. bronzer comes in 10 pearly shades that create looks ranging from a light sun-lit glow to a deeper, rich tint. “I’m always a fan of adding a little touch of glow to my makeup, but sometimes it takes a few days for face tanner to really settle in. If I need a quick fix, I always opt for a pump or two of this liquid I.V. formula mixed in with my foundation for an instant brightening effect. It gives me just the right amount of sparkling bronze without looking glittery or heavy, and it is super lightweight and never pills. It also doesn’t make me look extra shiny, which is a huge plus for my combo-to-oily skin,” says Glamour commerce writer Alanna Martine Kilkeary.
Best Highlighter-Bronzer Combo: LaBomme Flare
Original photo by Glamour contributor April Benshosan testing La Bomme Flare
If you’re a minimalist and would rather skip the nine-step makeup routine, LaBomme’s Flare will become the all-in-one that replaces your bronzer and liquid highlighter. The formula is opaque compared to other liquid bronzers, so a little goes a long way.
“Because it goes on thick and is highly pigmented, I use the tiniest bit—about a half-pea-sized amount—then diffuse it out with a brush,” Benshosan says. Indeed, LA-based makeup artist Aaron Paul says to avoid applying LaBomme Flare directly on the skin; instead, apply some onto the back of your hand and stipple a synthetic bristle brush into it to evenly load the brush. “Test it on the back of your hand to ensure the desired color payoff, then apply in a stippling motion on the high points of the face—such as the cheekbones, chin, forehead, and bridge of the nose—to create a sun-kissed look,” Paul says.
Benshosan reserves this pick solely for nights out when she wants to go more glam than usual. The formula is very sparkly and dense, which makes it great for achieving a nice contoured bronzed look, but it also works well on the eyelids as a warm shadow.
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